In the wake of the defection the meeting redressed the political balance on the development control committee and the services select committee.

Labour lost one seat on the planning committee and Cllr Storey will remain on the services select committee — but as a Tory.

Labour group leader Cllr Melanie Longden had agreed that Cllr Margaret Moher would leave the development control committee.

But Liberal Democrat leader Cllr David Whitcroft believed the committee changes should be put off until August to make sure Cllr Storey was a committed Conservative.

He said the move to make Cllr Storey a full member of the Tories had been completed with "regrettable haste".

"The change of party has been made rather as one changes a pair of smelly socks. In this case, some unkind people might suggest, for a pair of even smellier socks. It seems that not a great deal of care was taken to ensure that she shares Conservative ideas and beliefs — if any can be found these days."

Cllr Whitcroft called the defection "a sad and rather squalid episode" which tarnished the reputation of the Labour and Tory Parties — and local government as a whole.

"It leaves Old Dean residents represented by a Conservative councillor, which they didn't vote for, which does nothing for the reputation of that party."

Cllr Longden and the Labour group kept quiet while the Liberal Democrats and the Tories slugged it out in the council chamber.

Frimley Green ward member Cllr John Phillips asked the Lib Dem leader whether he could cast his mind back to his switch of political allegiance.

"I believe he once held a Labour Party membership and he chose to cross to the Liberal Democrats.

"I think the attack that he has just made is petty and out of order but then I am used to listening to verbal diarrhoea."

Mytchett member Cllr John Emuss defended the Lib Dem leader and said: "At the time of Cllr Whitcroft's leaving the Labour Party, he was not an elected member and neither was I when I left Labour. That's the great difference."

Lib Dem colleague Cllr John Faulkner said he was "concerned about not knowing the full facts" of Cllr Storey's defection, and asked that the process should be known.

Tory group leader Cllr Moira Gibson said: "As far as Cllr Storey is concerned I am delighted I am now her group leader. It wasn't a snap decision.

"It has been a long, hard decision for her and she has made it known. I am delighted to have her on board."

Cllr Gibson said her new recruit wished to serve residents of Old Dean and was carrying on "a long tradition" of Conservative councillors who have served the ward.

The motion from Cllr Whitcroft to delay the political changes until August was lost after the Labour group and Tories refused to support it.

Labour's Cllr Longden said the meeting had been full of "posturing" from both the Lib Dems and the Tories.

"Whilst they bicker over the Old Dean, the election results speak for themselves. Labour polled 250 votes more than the Lib Dems and Tory combined."

Cllr Longden said the Labour group had kept quiet because she believed the scrap had "lost enough dignity for all three parties".